26 March 2011 – Tonight I shot the guys from Editors as they played Royal Albert Hall in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

These guys are really one of my all time favourite bands and I cannot explain the feeling that I get every time I work with them. The second that the first note hits though I realize that I actually forgot how good they are live.

I won’t go on about it for ages but definitely recommend that anyone who is even remotely a fan of their work has to make a plan and see them live.

The event was really well put together … perfect actually from what I experienced and I hope that they raised a good amount of money to help the teenagers that they reach out to.

I was specifically requested to shoot this show in black and white so these are a few of the shots I really like. It was a hard one to capture the feeling of 100% because there was a giant screen behind and that took away slightly from the intimate-ness of the setting on stage.

25 March 2010 – Tonight I photographed the Editors at Brixton Academy which was an absolute honour and kind of surreal as they are one of my favourite (if not my favourite) bands.

This was the second time that I had worked with them and it was better than that first just because the last time was at a festival during the day and this was at an amazing venue dedicated to their show. I really loved it so much.

The lighting was unfortunately really dark for the time that I was able to shoot in but I wasn’t bothered because it was for a purpose and the set started off really relaxed and built up through out the night so it was part of their show. The whole band is amazingly talented but Tom is incredible. I want to be like him. Haha. It was a privilege watching him in action.

I know I sound biased but this was definitely one of my top live shows. Unbelievable. If you don’t know Editors, you are missing out.

I am not going to go on because I wrote a review for a magazine so for now these are a few of the photos I shot. Hope you are all well. Marcus

31 December 2009 – I normally find “BEST OF” lists kind of cheesy but for this entire year I have been thinking of what my favourite shows have been, not only from a work point of view but taking into account the entire experience including things like the sound, lighting, venue, crowd, set list and performance.

I am a really big lover of music, especially live music, and I have a pretty open mind as to what types of music I listen to but there are obviously preferences to what really gets my foot tapping and I feel honoured to have worked with some of my favourite bands this passed year. Some of the ones disappointed possibly because I might have built them up too much in my head, while some lived up to the expectations I had and then there were ones that completely blew my mind.

This is not a formal post and doesn’t necessarily include my best photos for the year but just a personal Top 10 live performances for this year. It was an INCREDIBLY year and it’s only a few hours away from being over so Happy New Year everyone. Thank you for the support this year. Hopefully 2010 will be even bigger and better. I’d love it if you took the time to let me know what your favourites were. Till then, have a super one. Marcus

01) Editors
Hop Farm Festival – 05 July 2009

02) Gaslight Anthem
London HMV Forum – 04 June 2009

03) Bloc Party
Brighton Centre – 24 October 2009

04) White Lies
Brixton Academy – 19 November 2009

05) Billy Talent
Brixton Academy – 01 November 2009

06) Rise Against
London Roundhouse – 06 March 2009

07) White Rabbits
Monte Water Rats – 18 November 2009

08) Kristopher Roe
Camden Underworld – 23 January 2009

09) Steel Panther
Shepherds Bush Empire – 16 September 2009

10) Juliette Lewis
The Lexington – 14 July 2009

07 July 2009 – This passed weekend I shot photos of one of my favourite bands performing live and it was amazing. For a long time now, Editors have rocked my Macbook, car stereo, iPhone and just anything I own that can play music.

I remember the first time I heard their music from a friend of mine a few years back and how excited I was and I remember how stoked I felt when I got their last album and I remember how nervous I was when I got the confirmation booking for this shoot because I was worried that all the memories I had in the last 3 / 4 years (where their music had been playing in the background) would flash back to me and I would either burst out in tears or be really disappointed in the live set hoping that I had never seen them. It was scary and as stupid as it may sound, I really was feeling emotional. I know that Editors isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but that means nothing really because if we all loved the same things there would be no room for experimentation or individuality.

Anyway, so on arrival at the front pit I hear the mixed views that I would expect with one person saying that she has seen the band before and it was her best show to date and then another guy saying that he thought they were terrible and he cannot stand them. My mind had to be made up on its own and as the first note was hit, I had that feeling that I always get when I hear any of the bands tracks. It’s weird, they really bring back so many emotions and feelings, like seeing a photo and having the memories of that specific photo recollect in your head, I have that for nearly every Editors track when I hear them. The first song is new but I feel it already.

It is immediately clear that front man, Tom, is still as excited about the band and their music as he was the day they decided to start this venture because he is EVERYWHERE on the stage. I find him super entertaining and as the second song starts I get that feeling that I had been worrying about and I try really hard to keep the tears in and its hard as thoughts flash through my mind of my wife singing alongside me in our car on several road trips. This feeling carries on and on as the set passes by. “You came on your own and that’s how you will leave, with hope in your hands and air to breathe”.

The band is humble which I always like and Tom keeps thanking the crowd for listening and not walking away as they introduce everyone to a few new tracks of the up and coming album due out around September (I stand to be corrected). I cannot wait for the day that it hits shelves especially after they finish the set with a new song that really is on a new level. They are playing a bunch of shows in the UK during October and they have just gone on sale, I know I will be at the London one and can only recommend that you make one of them.

Nothing like good nostalgic music to spark emotion. Band like this make me wonder of how weird life without music would be and I am so glad that it exists. Thank you Editors.

On a technical note, the main light was ambient daylight from the sun at sunset and the stage lighting had very little (if any) effect at all so I opted for shooting slightly from the side to catch outlines as I hate shooting flat images onto a black back ground of a stage set. The stage was also SUPER high so I couldn’t even see the drummer from the pit and that is the main reason for most of the shots being of Tom. He is a super front man though so I feel he deserves them. Haha.